Method of making knitted gloves and other hand coverings



May 27, 1924. 1,495,151

G. P. BOSWORTH V H METHOD OF MAKING KNITTED GLOVES AND OTHER HAND COVERINGS Filed April 29 1920 Invenior (i6 orgeBBoswqri/h,

by 8M1 %@E Patented May 27, 1924,

UNITED sr tears;

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISL-AND, ASSIGNOB TO HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING KNITTED GLOVES'AND OTHERHAND GOVERINGS.

Application filed April 29, 1920. Serial No. 377,715.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P; BosWoIrrH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Making Knitted Gloves and Other I-Iand Coverings, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. i

This invention relates to a method of knitting gloves and other hand coverings,

and the object thereof is to provide a glove or other hand covering embodying neatness in appearance and economy of construction.

The invention consists in the method of producing a glove or other hand covering, as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Ihave shown, merely for the purposes of illustration, one form of glove.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the glove; and I Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a glove blank from which the glove shown in Fig.

1 is produced.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention I have shown a glove wherein the hand covering is constructed by reciprocating knitting in two sections 1 and 2 from separate and distinct yarns consisting of partial, connected courses, the portions of yarn connecting said courses at opposite edges of said sections being utilized to form during the knitting operation suture seams 3 and 1, herein shown in the palm and back hand coverings of the glove and substantially central with respect to said coverings.

The fingers of the glove embodying this invention may be formed in any suitable manner, but herein they are shown consisting of finger-length strips formed integral with and as continuations of the hand coverings 1 and 2. In this case, the first finger covering 5 consists of a strip of fabric 6 double the width of the finger and provided with selvaged edges 7 and 8 at the inside of said finger. The second finger covering 9 is composed of two strips 10 and 11, ar-

ranged atthe front and back of'the glove, said stripsbeing provided with oppositely selvaged edges which are later stitched together to form the finished finger. The third finger 12 is composed of front and back strips 13 and 1 1, also oppositely selvaged, as in the previous case, while the fourth finger 15 is composed of a doublewidth-strip 16 similar to the strip 6 of the first finger, and this strip has selvaged edges 17 and18 arranged'uponthe inside of said finger and adaptedjlater to be seamed together to'complete the formation of said little finger. A thumb strip 19 may be formed in any suitable manner in connection with one of said sections, according to whether said glove is to fit a right or left hand. In the present instance, the thumb strip 19 is knitted integral with the section 2 of, said hand covering and in the form of a strip double the length of .the thumb and knitted at its opposite ends into the courses of said hand section 2. It is, however, within the broad scope and purpose of my invention that a thumb may be separately knitted and afterwards applied to the hand in any suitable way, as to a thumb opening that has been formed during the knitting operation, or a thumb opening may be cut or otherwise formed and a separate thumb secured in proper position to the glove.

One very glove such as I have described in two sec tions united by seams disposed longitudinally of and substantially .central with respect to the front and back hand coverings, is that a wrist opening may be more easily provided therein. Such an opening I have indicated at 20 which extends from the end 21 of the wrist up the center thereof to a point 20 near or slightly above the base of the thumb, thus providing an ample opening for the insertion of the hand. The edges of the sections 1 and2 of said glove blank along said opening 20 are selvaged, which selvages may be of the ordinary construction employed in the formation of strips of fabric byreciprocating knitting, or within the scope and purpose of the invention said selvages may be specially constructed and in accordance with the method disclosed in the co-pending application of Frank E.

great advantage in forming a.

Jones now Patent No. 1,413,537 dated April 18, 1922. In either case the edges of said sections will be so formed during the knitting operation as to preclude the necessity for further finishing thereof.

Suitable fastening means such as indicated at 22, 23 may be provided at the lower marginal portions of the wrist sections of said blank wherewith to fasten the edges thereof together to retain. the glove upon the hand.

It iswithin the spirit and scope-of my invention to form a glove such as I have just described, either by hand or upon any suitable type Ofknitting machine. In the present case, however, I follow the latter method, preferably, though not essentially, employing the type of knitting machine wherein the needle cylinder is capable either of rotary or reciprocatory movement with respect to the knitting cams, although the production of the glove involves only the reciprocatory movements of said needle cylinder; but it is obvious that, within the scope and purpose of the invention, the needle cylinder may be held the necessary movement be imparted to the cams.

There are numerous Ways in which a glove may be produced in accordance with my invention, but I shall in the following specification describe only one method whereby the same may be accomplished, although it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular method shown, and furthermore, although I refer to'a glove, yet it is obvious that within the scope and purpose of the in vention may be included a mitten and also what may be termed a glove mitten, that is, one wherein a separate digit is formed for the first finger or the first and second fingers and the remaining fingers are provided for by a single pocket formation, and in these as in the form shown the method of procedure will be substantially the same. I

The machine for producing the glove herein may be and preferably is equipped with two separate, semicircular series of needles, each series being functioned by a separate set of knitting cams having inde pendent yarn guides or yarn feeding means. Each movement of the cylinder is substantially more than one-half of a rotation, but said knitting cams are so arranged as not to afiect in any way the needles of the other set, with the exception of the end needles of one of the series, which end needles are sometimes called suture needles.

During each distinct movement of the needle cylinder a course of loops will be knitted upon both of said series of needles by their respective cams to form partial or semi-circular courses. The terminal loops of said courses are united during the knitstationary and ting of said courses to form, in the present instance, said suture seams 3 and 1, respectively, arranged substantially atthe center of the front and back hand coverings. The loops which form said suture seams consist of alternate terminal loops of the sections 1 and 2 of the-fabric, said loops being substantially uniform in size and appearance with the loops of the sections united thereby, so that said seams will be practically inconspicuous or unnoticeable.

For further information concerning the formation of suture seams, reference may be had to my Patent No. 1,154,169, issued Sept. 21, 1915. The knitting of the glove may be started at any desired point, but herein it is commenced at the end 21 of the wrist and continues along said Wrist and part of the hand to the base of the thumb 19. The knitting of said wrist and hand portions of the blank is effected upon two sets of needles as hereinbefore stated, which sets are actuated by independent knitting cams and distinct yarns are supplied to said needles through suitable yarn guides.

The needle cylinder carrying said two sets of needles is operated reciprocatively to present said groups to their respective knitting cams, thus functioning the needles to form the regular loops. The end needles of one of said sets of needles arewhat are some times called suture needles and these needles are actuated by suitable means such as pickers, and in a well known manner, to form the suture seam uniting the two sections of fabric, said suture seam-forming operation being disclosed in said Patent No. 1,154,169 and not necessary herein more fully to be described. The operation of the suture needles takes place as usual at one side, here in at the back, of the glove beginning at the end 21 of the wristthereof and continuing to the bases of the fingers, but at the opposite, or, in the present case, the front of the glove, devices are withdrawn from action so as to render inoperative the suture needle at the end of the series corresponding with the front of said glove. Thus the adjacent edges of said sections 1 and 2 will not be united during the knitting thereof until the point 20 is reached, but during the formation of said sections selvaged edges 24 and 25 will be formed which, as hereinbefore stated, may, within the scope and purpose of the invention, be of the nature of selvages ordinarily produced by reciprocating knitting, or they may be of special construction, as of the character disclosed in said Patent No. 1,418,537.

On reaching the point where it is desired that the wrist opening 20 should terminate, as at the point 20, the suture needle-actuating pickers are reinstated into action and the suture needle-actuating the suture seam 3 will then be formed in the usual manner, said seam extending to the bases of the fingers.

hen the base-line of the thumb 19 is reached in the formation of the two sections 1 and 2 of the glove, knitting is interrupted upon the two series of needles and a certain group of needles is brought into action whereon knitting is continued to form the thumb strip. In the present instancethe needles upon which said thumb strip is formed are taken from the series of needles whereon the section 2 of the fabric is knitted,'thus producing a left-hand glove, but should it be desired to knit a right-hand glove, a similar group of needles will be selected from the series upon which the section 1 was knitted, the operation of the machine being the same in both cases.

Having completed the formation of the thumb strip. the needles of the series whereon said section 2 was formed, will be restored to action together with the needles forming the section 1 and knitting continues upon the entire number of needles to complete the formation of the hand to the bases of said fingers, as. hereinbefore stated, said sections being united during this operation bysutu-re seams composed of loops formed from the yarns composing said sections 1 and 2.

The hand coverings for the glove having been completed, the finger strips thereof are next formed in any desired order or sequence; Assuming, however, that the little finger 1 5 is tobe formed first, all of the needles of both semi-circular series and upon which the hand coverings 1 and 2 were knitted, are preferably retired except those required to form the double-width strip 16. Upon this set the knitting is accomplished by reciprocating knitting and .by co-action between said needles and one of the sets of knitting cams, preferably the set which coacted with the needles upon which the section 1 was knitted, and forming an oppositely selvaged strip double the width of the finger but of single finger length, which strip is adapted subsequently to be seamed along the inner side of the finger and across the end thereof to effect the completion of the finger, as shown in Fig. 1.

As soon as the knitting of the little fingerhas been completed, the knitting of the third finger is then preferably effected by employing a portion of the needles of the group used in knitting the strip 16 and adding thereto a predetermined number of other needles of the series upon which said section 1 was produced, both at the front and also at the back of the hand, in order to form the two selvaged strips 13 and 14, and in withdrawing from action the remaining needles of said series. By this operation it will be possible to effect the overlapping of the strips 13and 14: with opposite edges of the strips 16, thereby forming what are sometimes termed gussets between the fourth and third fingers.

The completion of the third finger is effected by stitching together adjacent opposite edges of'said strips 13 and 14, and also stitching across the ends of said strips, thus forming the finished finger illustrated, in Fig. 1. f

The front and back strips 10 and 11, respectively, of the second finger are produced in substantially the same manner, that is, certain of the needles employed in knitting the front and back strips 13 and lt of the third finger are employed in knitting said strips 10 and 11, in addition to other needles of the series upon which the section'2 is produced, to effect the formation ofsaid second finger strips, thus producing by the overlapping of the strips 10 and 11 with the strips 13 and 14, respectively, the formation of a gusset between said third and second fingers.

After completing the strips for the sec- 0nd finger, the strip 6 of the first finger is next knitted, and upon a portion of the needles previously used'in knitting the strips 10 and 11, together with certain needles of the series from which said section 2 was formed, so as t form between said second and first fingers a suitable gusset similar to the gussets between the other fingers of said glove. In this manner the strips for the'va- 'rious fingers of the glove-may be produced. portions of said finger strips being knitted upon the needles of the section 1 and'the other fingers upon the needles of the section 2, the dividing line between said groups of needles being indicated by the suture seams 3 and 4. In the present instance, the suture seam 3 aligns with the left-handedge 13 of the front strip 13 of the thirdfinger where'- as the seam 4 at the back of the glove preferably aligns with the right-hand edge 11 of the back strip 11 of the second finger of the glove. p

After the completion of the formation of the various finger strips, as above described, the glove will be ready for the seaming operations which are e ected in the usual manner to unite the various edges of the fingers to form the glove illustrated in Fig. 1 and producing a glove having the suture seams 3 and 4 at or near the centers, respectively, of the palm and back covering of the glove and the wrist opening 20 formed by the selvaged edges 24: and 25 of the wrist.

Although I have described the formation of the suture seams at the centers of the palm and back hand coverings, it is distinctly to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular location of the seam as herein shown, but that said seams may be moved to the left or right,or

&

to any desired location with respect to their present location.

I have set forth in the claims that the lower or wrist sections of the'fabrics united in suture seams at the front andback and forming a wrist opening are knitted integral with a tubular hand portion. By this I mean primarily that the tubular hand and the wrist portions are knitted without transferring, and hence the yarn employed in knitting the tubular hand portions may be and desirably are intact with and physical continuations of the yarn employed in knitting the wrist portions. This would not preclude the introduction of reenforcing yarns or the like, or even if desired the substitution during the knitting operation of one yarn for another, as is frequently done in knitting hosiery, such substitution being wholly unrelated to the feature of nontransference. A characteristic feature of my invention is the knitting of the tubular hand portion upon the same machine whereon the wrist portion is knitted, and hence without transfer and the objections incident thereto.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. a

I claim 1. That method of knitting a hand covering comprising forming by reciprocating knitting two sections of fabric from distinct yarns to form the wrist portion and uniting during the knitting operation said sections at one pair of adjacent edges by a suture seam at one face of the hand covering, and in forming selvages during the knitting operation at the other pair of adjacent edges, thereby providing the wrist opening, and in forming integral with said sections a hand portion and also finger coverings.

2. That method of knitting a hand covering comprising forming by reciprocating knitting two sections of fabric from distinct yarns to form the wrist portion and uniting during the knitting operation said sections at one palr of ad acent edges by a suture seam at one face of the hand covering, and

forming integral with said sections a tubu lar hand portion and also thumb and finger coverings. v

3. That method of knitting a hand covering comprising forming by reciprocating knitting two sections of fabric from distinct yarns to form the Wrist portion and uniting during the knitting operation said sections at one pair of adjacent edges by a suture seam at one face of the hand covering, and in forming selvages during the knitting operation at the other pair of adjacent edges, thereby providing the wrist opening,and in forming integral with said sections a tubular hand portion having opposed suture seams, one of which constitutes a continuation of the suture seam in the wrist portion and the other of which is in longitudinal alignment with the wrist portion, and in forming finger coverings integral withthe hand portion.

4:. That method of knitting a glove comprising forming by reciprocating knitting two sections of fabric from distinct yarns to form the wrist portion and uniting during the knitting operation said sections at one pair of adjacent edges by a suture seam at one face of the glove, and in forming selvages during the knitting operation at the other pair of adjacent edges, thereby providing the wrist opening, and in forming integral with said sections a tubular hand portion having opposed suture seams, one of which constitutes a continuation of the suture seam in the Wrist portion and the other of which is in longitudinal alignment with the wrist portion, in knitting the thumb portion integral with thehand portion, and in knitting finger strips integral with the hand portion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH. 

